Tri-Cities hockey league, gamers join forces for 5th-grader fighting rare cancer

Mitchell Wand has a big grin on his face as he holds up a sign to cheer on the Tri-City Americans.

It’s the same kind of joy he brings to all of his hobbies. Whether it’s playing video games, youth hockey or testing sprinklers, the West Richland fifth-grader’s passion is on display.

Now supporters from two of his passions are rallying around the 10-year-old as he fights a rare form of cancer that spread to his bones and most of his internal organs, including his brain.

The Tri-Cities Amateur Hockey Association and Powerbang Gaming are working on two fundraisers to help Mitchell as he fights for his life.

“It’s been amazing because we don’t have family in the area,” his mom Jennifer Wand told the Tri-City Herald. “The outreach from the school and even our co-workers has been overwhelming. Words can’t describe how much love I feel from everybody.”

Mitchell’s problems started about a year ago when he began having bone pain. His parents thought it was just growing pains or related to hockey.

Then in July, the pain became more frequent. At first, his doctors thought he might have rheumatoid arthritis. When he came in for imaging tests, they discovered medullary thyroid cancer.

That form of cancer accounts for just 1 to 2 percent of the already uncommon thyroid cancers, according to the American Thyroid Association.

Mitchell is now at Seattle Children’s Hospital as part of a special trial for a thyroid cancer treatment. The drug is approved for children 12 and older, and now they are testing how it works for younger children.

Both of his parents are staying with him in Seattle as he waits to find out how effective the treatment is.

“We are hanging in there,” Jennifer said. “We’re just waiting for that 28-day marker to see if there has been any changes to his studies. ... His goal is to go back home and get back on the ice and playing hockey.”

Hockey families

Mitchell is finding support from various parts of the community, including members of the Tri-Cities Amateur Hockey Association, Christ the King school and a Richland man’s YouTube gaming channel.

His mom’s Facebook page is filled with pictures of him playing hockey and cheering on both the Las Vegas Knights and the Tri-City Americans.

Hockey is a small family, Russel Del Gesso, an amateur hockey association board member, said. With a smaller fan base than football or basketball, participants and spectators tend to be highly passionate, he said.

Mitchell’s enthusiasm for the game has brought him into that close community, and they wanted to help him.

“When you become a hockey family member people embrace you,” Del Gesso said. “He needs the support of his hockey family.”

Several professional players have reached out to the Wands to offer their support.

Fundraising

The association is raising money selling T-shirts on Snarky Cancer at bit.ly/Mitchellcancer.

“We all know that insurance only covers so much of the medical costs,” they wrote on the fundraiser page. “And while the hospital is taking wonderful care of Mitchell, his family is having to stay in the area for a long time, which is not without associated costs.”

For Lance Frisbee, the head of Powerbang Gaming, they share a connection through a mobile game Clash of Clans. Frisbee, who runs a successful YouTube channel, learned about Mitchell’s plight because his son attends Christ the King School too.

Shortly before getting the diagnosis, Mitchell had been posting videos on his own YouTube channel “Bacon Weather.”

Frisbee organized his own video featuring other prominent players on YouTube. That video brought nearly 6,000 subscribers to Mitchel’s channel.

“He’s made some awesome Clash of Clans content, and that is a cause near and dear to my heart because that is where all of this began,” he said. “We know you’re going to kick (cancer’s) butt and be back to the ice hockey rink before you know it.”

They also organized a GoFundMe post, which has raised nearly $5,000.

“Please donate to this wonderful family who does so much for their community,” the campaign page reads. “His parents help with every school fundraiser, in the school library, classroom, and various events. They are at every hockey practice, game, and tournament, always cheering on their son’s team!”

Mitchell responded on his channel, “Hey everyone I just wanna say thanks so much for all the nice comments. I’m getting better slowly but yea all I wanted to say was thanks so much.”